BENGALURU, Dec 14 – Bengaluru Police on Sunday arrested Nikita Singhania, the estranged wife of deceased AI engineer Atul Subhash, alongside her mother Nisha Singhania and brother Anurag Singhania, in connection with Subhash’s suicide, officials said. The arrests follow accusations that the trio demanded Rs 3 crore ($360,000) to drop false legal cases against Subhash and Rs 30 lakh ($36,000) for visitation rights to see his son.
The 34-year-old Subhash was found dead in his Munnekollal apartment on Monday, leaving behind a detailed 24-page suicide note and an 81-minute video accusing his wife and her family of harassment. The note and video have since sparked a heated debate on the misuse of legal provisions, particularly Section 498(A) of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty by husbands or their relatives.
Shivakumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Bengaluru’s White Field Division, informed that Nikita Singhania was apprehended in Gurgaon, Haryana, while Nisha and Anurag were detained in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. All three were presented before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
The police are also probing the involvement of Sushil Singhania, another relative of Nikita, who remains at large. Efforts to locate him are ongoing, with Bengaluru Police coordinating with local authorities.
In a related development, anticipatory bail applications have been filed by Nikita and her family in the Allahabad High Court, following a summons issued by Bengaluru Police on Friday, requesting their appearance within three days for questioning.
The case has underscored issues within the legal system, particularly around the enforcement and potential abuse of Section 498(A). Lawyer Dinesh Mishra, who had represented Subhash in family court, defended the judiciary’s actions, stating that the court’s July 2024 order for Subhash to pay Rs 40,000 monthly for child support was not a factor in his decision to end his life. Mishra highlighted that this amount was solely for the child’s welfare, not alimony for Nikita, who herself has a substantial income.
Mishra suggested that if Subhash felt the child support amount was excessive, an appeal to the High Court would have been the appropriate legal recourse. He stressed that while the court followed legal precedents, the tragedy of suicide remains a personal decision, not an indictment of the judicial system.
Subhash’s brother, Bikas Kumar, has called for legal reforms to prevent similar incidents, advocating for better guidance for families in legal distress to avoid such desperate outcomes.
The Bengaluru Police are working with forensic experts and the cybercrime unit to analyze Subhash’s suicide note, video, and electronic devices for further evidence.
The case continues to unfold, with public and legal communities closely watching developments that could influence future interpretations of laws concerning marital disputes and domestic violence in India.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
